Breeding Better Replacements
IRELAND - Breeding policy in most suckler herds is rightly focused on producing a calf of high weanling value for farmers selling weanlings, or a high-value beef carcass for farmers selling the progeny as finished beef.
8 April 2008
1 minute read
The breeding strategy required to produce suitable herd replacements is quite different and can be at odds to that required to produce high market value weanlings and beef carcasses.
In the €urostar rating system, if you are producing high-quality weanlings and targeting the export market, in particular, the main index to look for in a bull is the 'weanling export' €urostar value. This scores a bull on his ability to produce calves of a high weanling export value. If you are selling finished cattle, you should focus on the beef carcass value and select bulls with a high €urostar rating (4 or 5 star) for this trait.
Source: Irish Independent
